press room

Return to Reviews & Articles Main Page

A New Way to Cook

by Sally Schneider
United Press Syndicate Food Column, March, 2004

Recipe Traveler

When I am landlocked and unable to travel, recipes connect me                
to the places I miss that are so different from my own. I cook 
delicious dishes from Italy, France, Spain, and Mexico, to bring a 
bit of their way of life into my own. I'm not exactly an armchair 
traveler: more, a recipe traveler.

I cook recipes from past travels, or that I find in cookbooks, or get from itinerant chefs I know. Some of the best come from Peggy Markel, a role model of sorts to me, a woman who went to seek her fortune in Italy not knowing what she'd find, and ended up founding several extraordinary culinary programs - "adventures" as she calls them - in Tuscany, Sicily and Morocco.

"Food is the quickest way to get 'under the skin' of a culture, " says Markel. She has a knack for guiding people directly into the heart and soul of a place – through local artisans and cooks, in markets, on farms and in homes. Her recipes do that also. Many have become staples in my repertoire, and of friends who came for dinner and took the recipes home with them.

These are a few of my favorites. The spectacular Herb-Scented Tuscan Pork Roast makes use of the herbs that are the heart of Tuscan cooking: rosemary and sage. They are chopped together with garlic and salt, to make a fabulously aromatic rub for a loin of pork. Crisp slabs of polenta marbled with beans are a sublime accompaniment, or a simple supper unto itself.

The classically Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Prunes is perfect cold weather fare: a slow-cooked stew takes only a few minutes to put together, and yields a rich, intensely flavorful dish redolent with cinnamon, ginger and saffron.

In the last chilly days of winter, these dishes will bring the sunny flavors of Tuscany or Morocco to your kitchen and table.

Recipes

Scented Tuscan Pork Roast

Tuscan Herb Salt

Marbled Polenta Lamb

Tagine with Prunes and Cinnamon

Herb Scented Tuscan Pork Roast

This is a wonderful dinner party dish, because it takes so little work for such a dramatic effect. Peggy removes the bones in one piece and uses them as a rack on which she roasts the loin, to add flavor to the meat and pan juices. If you have the butcher cut through the chine bone, you can cut the delectable ribs apart to nibble on. Alternatively, you can simply roast a 4 1/2 -pound boneless pork loin on a wire rack.

Serves 8

One 7-pound pork loin, fat trimmed and boned by your butcher (bones reserved)

Tuscan Herb Salt (below)

Four 10-inch long rosemary branches

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt

4 to 5 thin slices pancetta (Italian rolled, unsmoked bacon)

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 cups dry white wine

Pat the pork loin dry. Using a knife sharpening steel or a long-handled wooden spoon pierce a hole lengthwise through the center. Working at each end of the loin, use your fingers to stuff all but 1 tablespoon of the Herb Salt into the hole. Then insert 1 of the rosemary branches into each end so that it forms a tassle. Mix the remaining Herb Salt with the coarse salt and rub it all over the roast.

Arrange the pancetta slices, slightly overlapping each other, down the length of the roast. Arrange the 2 remaining rosemary sprigs on top. Tie the roast like a sausage at 1-inch intervals with cotton string to give it a neat shape. Transfer to a platter, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature 1 hour before roasting.

Preheat the oven to 450°. Place the rack of rib bones curved side down in a shallow roasting pan. Pat the roast dry with paper towels and rub with the olive oil. Place the roast on the rack and roast for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, turn the roast over and baste with a few tablespoons of the wine. Return the roast to the oven and reduce the temperature to 350°. Cook for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, turning the roast and basting it with wine every 20 minutes; reserve 1/2 cup of wine for the sauce. The roast is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 145°.

Transfer the roast to a platter and pour the pan juices into a measuring cup. If the meat on the rack of bones is still pink and you wish to serve the ribs, place on a baking sheet and return to the oven for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the roasting pan over 2 burners on moderate heat; when it starts to sizzle, add the reserved 1/2 cup wine and cook for 2 minutes, scraping up the drippings from the bottom of the pan. Add to the pan juices in the measuring cup; let the fat rise to the surface, 5 minutes. Skim off the fat and season the sauce with salt and pepper.

Remove the strings and carve the roast into thin slices. If serving the ribs, remove the rack from the pan and cut through the ribs. Arrange the meat and ribs on a platter and serve the pan juices on the side.

Tuscan Herb Salt

Use this fragrant herb salt to season all kinds of roasts, from pork to chicken and to flavor sautéed or roasted vegetables.

Makes about 1/4

cup 1 garlic clove, peeled

1 tablespoon coarse (Kosher) salt

1 small bunch sage (about 30 leaves)

2 sprigs rosemary

On a cutting board, minced the garlic with 1 tablespoon of the salt. Place the herbs in a mound and coarsely chop them. Add the garlic salt and chop them together to make a coarse rub.

Marbled Polenta

Served with a green salad, this unique combination of polenta, beans and cheese makes a marvelous simple supper. You can make the loaf up to 3 days ahead; slice and fry just before serving.

Serves 8

1 1/2 cups polenta, preferably coarse

4 1/2 cups cold water

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 ounce (about 1/3 cup) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggino cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup drained, cooked beans, such as Navy, cannellini or borlotti

1 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

In a large heavy saucepan, combine the polenta, water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to moderate and cook, stirring frequently, until the polenta is very thick and pulls away from the sides and bottom of the pan, about 35 minutes. Stir in the cheese and freshly ground pepper. Adjust the seasoning. Then gently fold in the beans.

Spoon the mixture into two 3 1/2-x-5 1/2-inch mini loaf pans or one 4 -x-8 1/2-inch loaf pan, pressing it down with the back of a spoon to remove any air pockets. Set aside to cool completely. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until ready to use.

Invert the pan onto the work surface to unmold the polenta. With a thin, sharp knife, slice crosswise into 8 slices. Heat 2 large nonstick skillets over medium heat. Add half the oil and swirl to coat. Arrange the slices in the pan. Fry the polenta about 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden and crisp, adding more oil as necessary. Serve at once.

Lamb Tagine with Prunes and Cinnamon

Fragrant Morrocan-style tagines are among the easiest and most forgiving stews to make. Serve over cous cous or rice.

Serves 4, with leftovers

1 cup thinly sliced onions

3 pounds lamb shoulder, trimmed of excess fat, cut into 2-inch chunks (2 1/2 pounds trimmed)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Three 2-inch cinnamon sticks

Large pinch of saffron

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon wildflower honey, or to taste

1/2 pound whole, unpitted prunes

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

In a medium, flameproof casserole, combine the onions, lamb, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, salt, pepper, cinnamon sticks and saffron. Add the olive oil and enough water to just cover the meat.

Bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Reduce the heat to low, and set the lid slightly ajar. Simmer – do not boil – until the lamb is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. With a slotted spoon, transfer the lamb to a bowl.

Pour the liquid into a measuring cup and let sit several minutes until the fat rises to the surface; skim the fat and discard. Return the sauce and meat to the casserole; break up the meat with a cooking spoon. Stir in the honey and prunes. Simmer 15 minutes longer until the prunes are tender. Just before serving, sprinkle the tagine with sesame seeds.

UPS Food Column,"A New Way to Cook", Sally Schneider for March '04

Return to Reviews & Articles Main Page